Mail-box.



G. D. FISH.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17. I917- L256,548. Patented Feb.19,1918.

ATTORNEY ennniv n. FISH, or NORWALK, onto.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

P n e Feb: e 913 Application filed April 17, 1917. Serial No. 162,764.

To all'wkom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GLENN D. FISH, a citizen of the United States, residing. at Norwalk, in the county of Huron and State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new anduseful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail boxes and the primary object of the'inve'ntion is to provide an improved construction, whereby the locking and opening of the boxes may be easily accomplished by the use ofone hand.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a mail receiving box, that will lock automatically immediately upon being permitted to close and will be held in locked position regardless of theforce caused by the wind or action of the elements when the box is exposed in open places such as exist on rural mail delivery routes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a box of this character that will be locked immediately upon being closed, while the said locked position will not in any manner hinder the easy pening of the box by the mail-carrier or by other persons desiring to open the same, the construction being such that the carrier may retain full control of the horse or automobile which he might be drivingwith one hand, while access to the box may be easily gained with the other.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a mail box which consists of comparatively few parts and is simple in construction, but durable and well adapted to withstand the rough usage to which clevices of this character are ordinarily subjected.

For a full description of the invention and the advantages and merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein is llustrated the preferred form of my invention. in which;

Figure 1 is a top plan of the mail box, constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing the locking device closed.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing by full lines the locking device in partly open position, and by dotted lines the partly opened position of the lid.

Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary cross section on the line H of F ig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a.

part of the invention.

Fig. v(iis a detailperspective view .of a modified form, of the part illustrated in Fig. 5. l

2 Referring to the drawing, whereinis illustrated thepreferred form of myinvention, and in which like numerals of reference in dicate corresponding parts throughout. the several views, the mail container 1 consists of a suitable rectangular receptacle constructed from any preferred material. A lid 2 ishingedly mounted to the top of the receptacle 1, and when in closed position, the forward portion of the lid. is inclined forwardly to permit an effective drain so that water and melted snow will easily'drain from the top of the box.

Fixed to the top surface of the lid 2, at each end thereof, is a strip 3 ofjthin material. Suitablerivets are employed for fa stening this stripto the lid 2, and one end of each strip projects forwardly over the marginal edge ofthe llCl andis slightly bent 'at. the point. from which it leaves the lid, so that a slightly upwardlybent lip a is provided.

' A comparatively longbar 5is bent asat 6 toprovide. a front bar 7 and a pairof short end arms 8 disposed at right angles to the bar 7 The end edges of thelid 2 are provided with depending flanges 9, and the forward ends of each flange carries a pivot pin 10, each pin being adapted to project through an opening 11 formed in the end of each short arm 8 as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing. From this end of each arm 8, a latch arm 12 is suspended, the arm 12 being preferably integrally formed with the arm 8, and including a portion of the length of the bar 5. Each latch arm 12 has a notch 13 formed adjacent its lower end, the same beng adapted to receive one' end of a latch strip 14, fixed to each end wall of the receptacle 1.

In use. the arms 8 will be disposed perfectly horizontal as shown by Fig. 2 0f the drawing, when the latch arm 12 is in operative position. The lip 4. projects slightly upwardly at an angle so that it is necessary to release the latch arm 12 from its engagement with the clip plate 14 and swing the latch arms slightly outwardly before the lifting bar 7 will engage the lips 4. This connection is accomplished by merely placing the hand on any part of the bar 7 and pushing the same upwardly. A continued upward thrust of the bar will, of course, completely open the lid to any desired distance, and as soon as the person using the box releases the hold on the bar, the lid will drop to closed position, and the force thus locking latch instead of a double latchis employed.

From the foregoing it will be observed that a very simple mail box has been provided, the details of which embody the preferred form. 'I desire it to be understood,

however, that slight changes in the minor details of construction may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

I claim:

1. A mail box comprising a container having a lid hingedly mounted thereon, a pair of lips, one mounted at each end of and projecting forwardly from the said lid, a lifting bar, a pair of clip plates, one mounted on each end of the container, and locking means suspended from the said bar and pirotally carried by the lid to engage the said clip plates.

2. A mail box comprising a container having a lid hingedly mounted thereon, a pair of lips fastened to and projecting from the lid, the said lips being d sposed at a slight angle, a lifting bar having arms formed at its ends, and connected to the said lid, and

latching means adapted to be released by movement of the said bar prior to engagement with the lips.

3. A mail box comprising a container having a lid hingedly mounted thereon, a pair of lips fastened to and projecting from the lid, the said lips being disposed at a slight angle, a lifting bar having arms formed at its ends, and connected to the said lid, latch- Copies of this patent may be obtained {or five cents each, by addressing t N i Washington, D. C.

ing'means adapted to be released by movement of the said bar prior to engagement with the lips, the said means including latches suspended from the said arms, each latch having a notch formed therein; and a clip plate adapted to receive the correspondnotch engageable with the said clip plate,.

and means carried by the latches for lifting the said lid and disengaging the said notches from the clip plates. 7

5. A mail box comprising a container havplate secured to each end of the container,

the said lid having a depending flange at each end thereof, a latch pivotally suspended from each flange and including a notch engageable with the said clip plate,

means carried by the latches for lifting the said lid and disengaging the said notches from the clip plates, the said means including arms disposed at right angles from the 'inga lid hingedly mounted thereon, a clip latches, and a pair of lips projecting over i.

the lid and disposed at aslight angle with respect to the arms.

6. A mail box comprising a container hav- 1ng a lid hingedly mounted thereon, a clip plate secured to each end of the container,

the said lid having a depending flange at each end thereof, a latch pivotallv suspended from each flange and including a notch engageable with the said. clip plate,

means carried by the latches for lifting the said lid and disengaging the said notches from the clip plates, the said means including arms disposed at right angles from the latches, a pair of lips projecting over the lid and disposed at a slight angle with re- 7 spect to the arms, and a lifting bar con necting the ends of the said arms.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GLENN D. FISH. Witnesses:

C. A. BLACKMAN, Conr M. Scuocx.

he "Commissioner of Patents, 

